Stay of execution for Carna bus

The Carna bus which was set to be discontinued by Bus Éireann has survived – for now at least.

The axing of the Carna bus was seen as one of the toughest decisions by Bus Éireann as no other bus service – either public or private - serves that area in west Connemara.

It is also a bus closely linked to the political history of west Galway; the late Johnny Geoghegan who was a longtime conductor on the Carna bus became a TD and Minister for State.

His rise in the political world is attributed to a significant degree to his knowledge of Connemara and its people as a result of the Carna bus. Johnny Geoghegan settled down in Carna, a destination he reached via the Carna bus.

His daughter Máire Geoghegan-Quinn succeeded him in Galway West. She is now a member of the European Court of Auditors and is tipped by some people to become Ireland’s next Commisioner in Europe.

But history was away down the list when the future of the Carna bus was assessed by Bus Éireann in the past year and it had been targeted to be taken of the road.A meeting in Galway last Monday, however, ended in a reprive of sorts for the venerable Carna Bus.

Bus Éireann has agreed to try out a new route and new departure and return times for the Carna service.

The bus company’s regional manager Brian Connolly told a deputation from the “Keep the Bus” campaign at a meeting in Galway on Monday that the company will give a three month trial to a new system.

The bus will travel on the south Connemara road during that time and it will leave Carna at 7.30am. It will leave Galway at 5.15pm on the return journey. In order to speed up the journey to and from Galway the bus will not travel west to Muighros (in the Carna area) or into Ros Muc during the trial period.

The three month trial period – which is likely to be organised in the New Year – is aimed at increasing passenger numbers and making the service financially viable. Bus Éireann regional manager Brian Connolly said that the company would want to have from 25 to 30 people per day using the service.

Mr Connolly pointed out at the meeting that the passenger numbers on the bus when it reached Maam Cross in the month of October was seven and that pass holders were included in that figure.

He said that was not sustainable.

The “Keep the Bus” campaign provided a list of names of people who were willing to use the bus regularly, or more often, if it travelled at earlier times, took the south Connemara route and got to Galway city quicker as a result.

The “Keep the Bus” deputation from the Ros Muc and Carna areas was accompanied in Galway by the Minister for Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Éamon Ó Cuív and by the chairman of the Oireachtas Transport Committee, Deputy Frank Fahey.

Councillor Seosamh Ó Cuaig, the chairman of the Connemara group of Councillors accompanied the deputation and said that it would be a terrible blow if areas in south west Connemara lost the only bus service to Galway that is available to them. He stressed that the social need for the bus was vitally important.

“We have had a Carna for the past 80 years, and it would be a sad day to see it go now,” said Councillor Ó Cuaig.

Both Minister Ó Cuív and Deputy Fahey said that the bus service from Carna should be scheduled in order to make it convenient for people working along the south Connemara road, in the Furbo area and in Galway city.

Minister Ó Cuív pointed out that there are a large number of people working in places such as Radio na Gaeltachta, Údarás na Gaeltachta, An Roinn Gnóthaí Pobail Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta, TG4 and Oifig an Choimisinéir Teanga which are all located in south Connemara.

He said a further study of where people are travelling from, and where they work in the west and south Connemara area would be useful in deciding on travel times for the bus. Deputy Frank Fahey said he is “confident” that an arrangement can be made in the city which would give “priority” to the Carna bus at some points so that travel time on the 80km route could be shortened.

“I would hope that we could have the bus coming into the UCHG grounds and up by the University”, Deputy Fahey said. Meanwhile Deputy Fahey has suggested that a public campaign should be started aimed at getting people to use the buses and that Connemara could be the focus.

“Connemara people used to travel a lot on the bus at one time, and I am suggesting that we could have a pilot scheme in Connemara to try and get people back on bus,” he said.

There are also tax benefits for people who travel to work on the buses – and Deputy Fahey said this would form part of the promotional campaign that he is suggesting.